Improvement in electro-magnetic engines



No. 9,320. PATENTED 00112, 1852.

J. s. GUSTIN. ELECTROMAGNETIC ENGINE.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET PATBNTED OCT; 12, 1852.

J. S. GUSTIN.

ELECTROMAGNETIC ENGINE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,820, dated October12, 1852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. GUs'rrN, ofthe city of Trenton, county ofMercer, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Electro-hIa-gnetic Engine; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l'is an isometrical perspective of the engine. Fig. 2 is thelever-beam B. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through Z Z. Fig. 4 is a'sectionofthe helices and magnets.

Thesame letters of reference apply to the same parts in the differentdrawings.

The nature of my invention consists in so arranging the electro-magnets,and the parts connected therewith, that their great power of attractionin close proximity is continued through the required length of stroke ofa reciprocating engine of large or small size.

To enable others skilled in the art ,to make and use my improvement, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the bed-frame. B is alever-beam workin g on bearings O O. Qver thelever-beam, and on each side of those bearings, is the bottommagnet-plates, D D, and top plates, E E, making two sets. The bottomones are secured by bolts to iron frames or columns F F, which arebolted to the bed-frame. On these bottom plates are set and secured, bybolts, the electromagnets G G G. The number of magnets used on each sideor set is determined by the length of stroke and the number ofsuccessive actions to be employed in making it, always having two to acttogether with their line of bearing running diagonally through thecenter of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1.

The top plates are made of cast-iron, and are supported on two uprightrods, 11 E, Fig. 3, passing down through two metal boxes, I I, set inthe bottom plates. Between the bottom ends of these rods and theirbearings J J on the lever-beam is a cradle-piece, K, which yields to thevibrating motion of the bearings. These plates are also held in theirline of motion by guide-rods L L. They have suspended under them theupper part or armatures, M M M, of the electro magnets by twoslide-rods, NN to each, passing up easily through the plates, with ascrew and'nut resting on the upper side of the plate and a check-nut'tosecure it. By these rods the position of the armature is adjusted, andthe force of attraction between the magnet and armature is brought tobear on the top plate.

Between the nut and check-nut is the crosspiece 0 O, to which the arm ofthe balancesprings P, by a wire, is suspended. These balance springs aresupported on bearers a raised from the top plates. The lever-beam ismade of sutficient length to extend out, and bya connecting-rod, Q, tocommunicate its motion through a crank to the fly-wheel R. Near that endof the lever-beam, and secured toit are two armatures, S S, both on theupper and lower sides, which are attracted by two magnets, T T. Theseexert their force when the crank is near its center and while thebattery-current is being changed by the pendulum U from one to the othersets of magnets on the plates.

V is a small plate, of dry wood or some other non-conducting substance,on which are placed the break-pieces W.

X is a rock-shaft with two arms, one of which is connected by a slot(shown at d, Fig. 2) working on a pin in the lever-beam,) and the otherextending up, and by a rod'gives motion to the slidesor valves thatclose and break the battery-current with the'diftere nt breakpiecesconnected with the several helices in their. proper order. On the samerod to which the valves are attached are twopins that move the pendulum,breaking the current with one and closing it'on the other conductor, onwhiehthe slide-valve moves, and from which the current is conducted tothe different breakpieces over which they move and are brought incontact. v

To further illustrate its construction and operation, I will assume thatthe engine is to have six inches motion at the magnetic plates, withfive successive actions of two magnets acting at one time, making tenmagnets for each side or set.

The legs of the magnets should be three inches in diameter and nineinches long, those of the armatures to be of the same length, but

one-quarter of an inch less in diameter, to admit them to move freely inthe helices. The helices should be made of insulated copper 2 aeao wire,about one-twelfth of an inch in diameter,

' wound and connected in the usual way, so as to produce oppositepolarity in the two legs of the magnet. Their length should be that ofthe, leg of the magnet and armature together, and the thickness of thelayers of wire should be not less than the diameter of the legs, makingthe outside diameterof the helices nine- --inches,' one of the. platesbeing extended to its extremeheight, and the armatures being suspendedto it by the slide-rods, with their adjusting-nuts resting on theupperside of the plate, the ten armatures being adjusted to act in pairs; .1willnumber them Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Their distance from their magnetswould be,

for No. '1, one inch,No. 2two inches, and so on, each pair increasingits distance one inch more'than its preceding number.The-battery-current being new closedon No. 1, its attraciive forcebrings down the plate, and as No. l closes on its ma gnet No. 2 has beenbrought to within one inch of its magnet, and

the current broken on No.1 and closed on No." 2. A likeresultis'produced as upon No. 1, and so on until they all have performedtheir part, the stroke not yet being complete when the fifth .pair ofmagnets close, and the current being closed on the magnets at the'end ofthe leverbeam, they exert their force and finish the stroke,'closingjust before the crank reaches the top or bottom center. One set or sidehaving performed its work, the other is ready to follow in like manner.This motion of the top plates is communicated through their bearingrodsand cradle-piece to the lever-beam, and

"is by it carried to the crank and fly-wheel, producing rotary motion.The construction of the 'electro-magnets at the end of the leverbeam isfurther illustrated in Fig. 1, and those used on the plates in Fig. 4.The length of the slide-rods that-suspend the armature's to the plateswill be determined by their position.

No. 1 should have its rods sufficiently long to. have five and a halfinches space between theupper sideot' the armature and the under side ofthe top plate also, to pass through the plate and receive the two nutsand cross -piece. No. 2 should be one inch shorter, and so on, each pairone inch shorter than its preceding number. The top plate-is thusenabled to pass down to its terminating point without having come incontact with the armatures. The rods passing easily their apertures,nofriction or obstruction is presented to its; motion.

The balance-springs may" be made in any convenient form,-and should bearnearly all the weight of the armatures, except so much as is necessarytokeep them in their places.

' Thus a balance in weight of the two top plates on the lever-beam isvery nearly maintained, notwithstanding the'armatures rest on theirseveral magnets as they close. To balance the lever-beam andconnecting-rod, one of the top plates is made nearly the required weightfor that purpose, leaving a small portion to be adjusted by a ball onthe short endof the leverbeam.-

Between the nut on the slide-rod of the armatures and the top plates isplaced a washer of vulcanized india-rubher, also very thin pieces of thesame material between the armatures and magnets. These prevent theviolent concussion of those parts when in motion, and

also prevent the adhesion of the armature to the magnet when the currentis broken. The

connecting wires or leaders are each pair carried to onebreak-piece,'while all the negative ones are brought .to one pointbehind the engine, and have a set-screw by which to attach that pole tothe battery.

- For-an engine as thus described I should use a Groves Battery ofthirty pairs of plates four by six, arranged in two sets of fifteenintensity. The strength of the top plates, their hearingrods, the'sizeof the plates, strength of suspension or slide rods to the armatures,size and strength of the lever-beam, and theother parts,

-- will readily suggest themselves to a practical mind, and need nodescription. The'break- .p'iece connecting the current with the helices.1 of themagnets at the end of the tever-bea n may be made at anyconvenient place where I the proper motion can be obtained, either atthe fly-wheel shaft or suchplace as may suit the taste of theconstructor of the engine. The set-screw g connects the positive pole ofthe battery with a piece of *sheetcopper, the end of which isbrought-over the copper piece f, so set that when the set-screw h isturned back they spring apart and disconnect or break the connectionwith the battery and stop the engine, and by reverse turn of the screwthey are brought in cont-act and the engine put in motion. I

What I-claim as. my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

Supporting the principal part of the weight of the armatures of theelectro magnets, mounted upon sliding guides or their equivalents, uponthe reciprocating frame, as described, by means of springs or theirequivalents attached to said frame, so as to preserve the balance ofweight in the moving parts, sub

stantially as set forth.

JOHN S. GUSTIN. Witnesses:

J OHN WHITTAKER. JOHN H. WHITTAKER.

